Absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins and incontinence pads preferably deform along the shape of the body of the wearer in order to minimize leakage of excreta, such as menstrual blood. As an example of such an absorbent article that can deform along the shape of the body, PTL 1 discloses an absorbent article wherein the absorbent body has folding sections with lower flexural rigidity than the average flexural rigidity of the absorbent body, and with lower flexural rigidity than the adjacent regions. Since the absorbent article disclosed in PTL 1 flexibly deforms around the folding sections formed in the absorbent body as origins, it easily fits along the body shape of the wearer and can exhibit a soft feel during use.
PTL 2 discloses an absorbent article wherein the absorbent body has regions with increased density and basis weight in sections thereof, and further has sections with increased absorbent body density locally within the regions of increased density and basis weight, with recesses corresponding to those sections. Because the absorbent article disclosed in PTL 2 has an absorbent body with a plurality of recesses of increased density, the absorbent body is capable of flexible deformation.
Also, PTL 3 discloses an absorbent article wherein the upper layer absorbing element is composed of an upper layer absorbent body containing synthetic fibers and a covering sheet comprising a nonwoven fabric of synthetic fibers that encloses the upper layer absorbent body, the upper layer absorbing element having a plurality of crossing grooves formed crossing the widthwise direction of the upper layer absorbent body, at intervals in the lengthwise direction, by embossing from the front side of the covering sheet. The absorbent article disclosed in PTL 3 has a structure in which the upper layer absorbent body and the covering sheet made of a nonwoven fabric that encloses the upper layer absorbent body, are integrated by embossing, and since folding takes place from the embossed grooves, it is capable of bending in a smooth manner along the rounded curves of the body.